Component 1 Researching a Problem - Overview

Preface

The first step in every technical problem-solving endeavor is to concisely define the problem. This is crucially important. The problem statement is the foundation upon which all problem-solving effort is based. A well-written problem statement, simply stated, clearly identifies a problem. The problem statement allows the students to focus effort. It also serves as a means to measure the success of the design effort. When the result of the design and development process successfully solves the problem as stated in the problem statement, the student can say that he or she has a workable design. For this reason, it is important to carefully craft a concise and specific problem statement.

An acceptable problem is one for which there is no known solution, or one for which there is a solution that can be significantly improved upon. It must be valid (i.e., not a problem because the student says so, but because other credible sources agree that it is a problem) and justifiable (i.e., the effort to solve the problem is warranted based on need and cost). This lesson will guide students in the selection of a valid problem on which to base their work for the remainder of the course and in the writing of a concise problem statement. Students will use the researching skills they have accumulated throughout their school years to discover as much as they can on the topic of their proposed project in order to validate their problem. Research should not be restricted to “traditional” sources, such as books and professional journals, but should also include research techniques such as personal interviews, patent searches, and investigating web bulletin boards. During the problem selection process, students will also be encouraged to consider their own abilities, the available resources and school facilities, and time constraints.

This component requires students to identify a problem on which they will design a solution during the remainder of the course. In the first lesson students will write a clear problem statement and validated the problem by documenting credible sources that indicate that the problem exists. Validation is carried out through research and input from experts and mentors. The second lesson requires students to convert the problem statement to a statement of the purpose of their work. Once their work is defined, students are asked to perform additional research, including market research, in order to justify the problem by confirming that the expense and effort involved with solving the problem is warranted based on need and projected need and cost of the product. At the end of the unit, students will create a project proposal in which they will formally validate and justify the problem they have selected.

 

Understandings

  1. Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, motivating, utilizing resources to achieve specific goals.
  2. The work of engineers has an impact on our society.
  3. An open ended design process involves identifying a justifiable problem and developing an original solution that attempts to solve it.
  4. There are principles and practices related academic research. Topic selection and design decisions should be research driven and driven data whenever possible.
  5. There are principles, practices, and techniques related to technical writing.
  6. There are principles and practices related to documenting an engineering design process that protect the designer’s intellectual property. This ensures that the designer has generated an original solution.
  7. A well developed and accurately written problem statement identifies a need and guides an engineering design process.
  8. A well developed and accurately written problem statement identifies a need and aims the engineer toward developing measureable and objective design requirements which guide the rest of the design process.
  9. Individuals and other entities put extraordinary effort into protecting their intellectual property so they can control who has access to and use of their work. Intellectual property protections allow individuals or companies to maintain rights to profit from their ideas.
  10. Experts are professionals that have specific knowledge in an area of interest and can guide the research needed for accurate justification and solutions to design problems.
  11. The ability to communicate as a professional is a critical skill for engineers.
  12. Effective market research focuses on potential users and buyers to gauge whether a problem is worth the investment required for a solution to be attempted.
  13. Effective market research focuses on potential users and buyers to gauge whether a problem is worth the investment required for it to be solved.
  14. Research and analysis of past solution attempts can help a designer identify critical design specifications or features in any viable solution designed.
  15. Engineering design projects are typically peer reviewed. Stakeholder feedback and design reviews help guide engineers through the design process.
  16. Design goals include specifications, constraints, parameters, desired features, and fundamental design considerations.
  17. Presentation of a project proposal is a critical way-point in the design process. 

 

Knowledge and Skills
It is expected that students will ...

  1. Become an expert on the identified problem.
  2. Distinguish between credible and non-credible sources and use APA citation style while conducting research.
  3. Develop a clear, complete, and concise problem statement.
  4. Document research that validates and justifies problem academically, ethically, or through market research.
  5. Employ a Gantt chart for project planning purposes.
  6. Evaluate the market to determine whether solving the problem is compelling to other entities.
  7. Identify the target market for a potential solution to an identified problem. If so, create, execute, and evaluate a market research plan to gather data related to an identified problem.
  8. Disclose and appraise all current and past solution attempts available as commercial products or patents.
  9. Document and summarize a patent search.
  10. Communicate professionally with experts and mentors on a specific topic. 
  11. Record and organize correspondence with experts and mentors.
  12. Create a Project Proposal document and/or presentation to summarize important research in order to justify moving forward with a chosen problem.

 

Essential Questions

  1. How do I find a problem worth solving?
  2. What are the global challenges facing our world?
  3. What role does the market place play in engineering design?
  4. What exactly is the problem?
  5. How do I phrase it as an objective problem statement?
  6. What is the background, context or setting of the problem? 
  7. Who in fact says that this is a problem worth solving and why should anyone believe them?
  8. What makes a project justified when the need for a solution is balanced against cost and effort?
  9. How are experts and mentors valuable to the design process?
  10. What expert credentials, experience, or knowledge suffice to state that the problem identified is valid?
  11. How can valuable and credible research be identified for use?
  12. Why should I do independent research before contacting stakeholders or seeking expert support?
  13. What are all of the methods, products, or actions that are being used or have been developed to try and solve this problem and exactly why doesn’t each of them actually solve the problem?
  14. How do I prove to others that I/we have done an extensive search for possible current solution attempts? 
  15. Who has helped me identify and state the shortcomings of the solutions attempts found and why should anyone believe them?
  16. Why is the intellectual property so important in engineering design?
  17. Why is it important to begin a design project with a problem statement?
  18. What tools can I use to assess prior solution attempts?
  19. Now that I know what the problem statement is and why current solutions are not solving the problem well enough, what are the measurable things a new design would have to accomplish (in order of importance) to be seen as a real solution?
  20. How did I determine each of these design requirements?
  21. What are the differences between specifications, constraints, parameters, desired features, and fundamental design considerations?
  22. How do design requirements help guide designers to the most effective solution?

 

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